Topic
Shariah & the Path
27 entries
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What if the shaykh’s advice goes against what you want?
A seeker must acknowledge every word of his shaykh as true, and where he is unable to comprehend the meanings he must consider it his own flaw. If the shaykh's advice is against his wish he should still follow it and trust the shaykh's wisdom, and he must not question the shaykh about its positive or negative aspects or present his own opinion. Even seekers who lack capacity would reach the station of Divine Love if they stay connected with the shaykh and listen to his advice.
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How does a woman take bay’ah?
The pledge of the believing women is recorded in the Qur'an, and the Prophet took it from them verbally: never once in his life did he touch the hand of a woman who was not related to him. Holding the hands of women while taking the pledge is unacceptable in the Shariah, since it is prohibited to touch an unrelated woman, and one must follow in his footsteps.
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Do you have to shake hands to take bay’ah?
Offering the hands when taking bay'ah is a Sunnah for men, though spoken words are enough, since bay'ah is a pledge. Holding the hands of women while taking the pledge is unacceptable in the Shariah, as it is prohibited to touch an unrelated woman, and the Prophet took the pledge from women verbally.
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How does someone become a shaykh? Is a formal degree required?
Among the basic conditions of a true shaykh are that he has been publicly authorised by a true shaykh, through an unbroken chain of authorisation back to the Prophet, and that he has travelled the path of Tasawwuf under the guidance of his shaykh. He is not required to hold a formal degree from a religious school; it suffices that he has studied Qur'anic exegesis. University qualifications or research cannot be substituted for ilm, true knowledge, as they are not authenticated by the unbroken chain.
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When may a seeker leave his shaykh?
There are conditions under which a seeker may leave his shaykh and perform the pledge with another: the shaykh deviates from the path of Tasawwuf, or the seeker gets no improvement in his state despite following every instruction, or the shaykh passes away, or the shaykh is found not to follow the Shariah. Where the seeker is simply getting no benefit, he discusses it with his shaykh and finds another with his permission. Leaving without any justification is a different matter, and the seeker who does that is called Murtid fil Tariqa.
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Should a seeker consult his shaykh about marriage, travel and work?
A seeker brings his major decisions to his shaykh, marriage, travel and profession among them, and follows the advice given in worldly matters as well as spiritual ones. A seeker cannot reach his destination on his own accord, and it is the duty of the shaykh to connect him with Allah. One major hindrance on the way is the seeker who weighs his shaykh's judgement against his own.
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What is adab with a shaykh?
Adab means respect, and in Tasawwuf it covers every aspect of a seeker's life: respect for the Word of Allah, respect for the Sunnah of the Messenger, and respect for one's shaykh. It matters because the benefit of a shaykh passes through a connection between hearts, and a doubtful heart restricts the flow of knowledge. What follows are the etiquettes the seeker abides by, from consulting the shaykh on major decisions to praying for him.
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How do you find a true shaykh?
Look for the truthful, because the Qur'an commands the believer to keep their company, and that command holds for every generation. Where a seeker cannot judge truthfulness himself, the guide is the man whom most of the pious of his own time hold to be righteous.
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Are the actions of the heart obligatory, or optional?
In Madarij al-Salikin, Hafiz Ibn Qayyim divides the servitude of man over the heart, the tongue and the remaining limbs, and writes that the consensus is that the actions of the heart, such as sincerity, trust, love, patience and true intention, are incumbent. The rectification of the heart, he writes, comes before the rectification of the limbs.
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What is Suluk?
Suluk is to follow the Sunnah in actions and habits, and its effect is that one starts to despise the blameworthy traits and the praiseworthy traits are attained. For the believer, following the Shariah becomes second nature, the heart finds peace in the obedience of Allah and the acts of worship become easy to perform. Its benefit is that it removes indolence and makes it easy to follow the Shariah.